Roots That Will Bind
by Lionus
Summary: They are facets in numberless worlds.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"How about…" Levy thoughtfully drew her words out as she twirled the band of cloth around on her finger, considering the gruff man standing before her. "You wear it without any guff and we go about the day peacefully?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "'m not wearin' that, so you can just forget it."

The script mage cocked her head to the right, fabric still circling up and down the trim appendage she held up. "Hm…Don't think so."

The dragon slayer scoffed and crossed his arms, smirking down at the smaller woman. "Well, you can't very well tackle me and wrangle it over my neck, now can you?"

She returned his smirk with one of her own and tossed her prize into the air, catching it easily. "You're right. But I can easily _wrangle_ Lily into the equation and then, you'd be down for the count."

A studded brow rose at her calm threat. "You forget Lil' and I are pretty evenly matched, shrimp."

"Nah, we have our ways."

Gajeel snorted, "Can't believe you've turned my own cat against me. You're a perfect manipulator in sheep's clothing."

Levy winked at him. "I have my ways."

The dragon slayer narrowed his eyes and frowned. "More like hidden stock of kiwi juice."

"Call it what you want, I suppose."

"I will, and it's plain dirty. And I'm _still_ not wearin' that."

Levy stepped up to him, quietly regarding him for a moment. Her eyes ticked this way and that; she studied him like one of her books and suddenly turned serious, albeit a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "W-What if I told you I like the way it looks?" Her bottom lip drew between her teeth, slowly turning white from the pressure. "And because I won't have to worry about your dumb hair getting in your face and obscuring your vision again."

He nodded his head gently and pried her fingers from the headband, angling his head to tie it behind his hair. Gajeel smirked at Levy's own shyer smile and ruffled her hair.

"All right, Levy."

* * *

#6; _proposition_

originally posted: 12-9-13

**A/N:** I'll be moving all of the prompts I had answered on tumblr here, though it'll be a slow process. There will be separate stories for the nalu and gruvia ones, so keep an eye out for that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The first time they brought Rogue to the guild she was silent commands and looks and an elegant aura that reigned in the wild and tamed it to be calm.

He was not.

If Gajeel had had his way, they'd be back at home resting and he'd be there to watch. Of course, it hadn't gone his way and he was now faced with several pairs of hands petting at his newborn son and wife. If Metalicana were there, he would have laughed at his charge.

Jet and Droy were a fair bit more receptive to Levy's subtle behavior, they nodded to Gajeel, patted her shoulder, and respectfully craned their necks to look at the thick tuft of black hair before moving on.

Mirajane and Erza were allowed to hold him on principle. They scared off most of the crowd when Levy and Gajeel sat down, so they weren't all bad in Gajeel's eyes. Lucy only knelt to the floor, her hands settling over Levy's and cooing at the bundle. A little closer than what he was comfortable with, but Levy seemed more at ease with her friend being there.

The Master, Wakaba, and Macao drank from the bar and toasted from afar, an understanding glimmer in their eyes that unnerved him.

Juvia had been the only other one to hold the baby, she was a goner the second Rogue awoke from his nap, pinned those startling red eyes on her, and grasped her finger in his tiny fist. Gajeel calmed a bit at that, no one would dare crowd Juvia when _she_ was holding the baby. She held a degree more intimidation than tired, too happy Levy.

It also gave him a chance to quietly talk with his wife without well-wishers butting into their conversation.

Levy kept her eyes forward, letting her gaze sweep the guild as she leaned toward Gajeel. "I've never felt so wound up in my life."

"_Tch_, that would be the instinct." He growled the word in her ear, taking her by surprise by nudging his nose against her temple. The action was quick and barely there, but it soothed her frustration.

"I don't think I'll be able to stay much long-." Her words were clipped off and it sent a chill up his spine as Levy sat straight in her chair. She narrowed her eyes at Gray and Natsu.

The two made their way to the corner table she and Gajeel sat at, _arguing_. Levy was out of her seat the second Gray arched his arm to throw the first punch, Gajeel was halfway around the table, and Juvia stood there in all her Phantom Lord prowess, holding a water lock over the two and deftly cradling the baby in the other hand.

"Juvia does not wish to fight in front of the baby, but Juvia will if she has to. You will behave and be considerate to Levy and Gajeel's space." The water lock dissipated as Levy fell back to her seat, letting the breath she didn't know she was holding out. "Now, if you promise not to start a brawl, Juvia thinks you should come meet the baby."

Gajeel thought this guild was going to drive him mad.

* * *

#52; _when they have the baby_

originally posted: 10-16-13


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"This is stupid."

"We wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't crunched my glasses under those anvils you call feet."

Right, that's how he got himself into this mess. In his defense, they _were_ left on the floor.

In her defense, it's where she had spread out for the afternoon and where there were books stacked all around her and the aforementioned frames.

"I don't see how readin' slower is such a bad thing."

"I use those glasses as regular reading glasses as well, Gajeel."

He'd singlehandedly smashed the frames to bits and hindered her from reading at all. To be honest, he's surprised she's let him live this long for that fact alone. And now he's stuck agreeing to her plans because he does sort of owe it to her now.

Gajeel scratches the back of his head and submits to her request, "I'll meet ya back here tomorrow at noon."

Her arms cross and she draws her lips tight in repressed aggravation.

* * *

He didn't sleep well that night.

And because of it, he's going to be stuck spending the day cranky and attempting to pronounce seventeen syllable knock outs that she spouts off like children's nursery rhymes.

He takes his time getting to the library and the usual room she holes up in. How's he supposed to read the ancient tomes she carries around for light reading?

He's going to make a fool of himself and she's never going let him live it down.

Only, it's not that at all. She leads him to a corner with two plush chairs angled toward each other and a regular book. A book of short horror stories that kind of terrifies him, because she chose it and she's getting a rise out of this sort of thing, but a storybook nonetheless. Part of him tries to be suspicious that she's being smug about his reading capabilities, but she scoffs at the mention of it.

_Read the damn book, Gajeel._

He's still worried that she hates him for the glasses and for the way his voice butchers the clean sentences.

"I like your voice, Gajeel, it suits the stories far better than my own."

Gajeel catches _himself_ off guard with the turn of the last page, he had hoped it would go on a little longer. It's addictive, this adrenaline rush, but she's completely nonplussed by the abrupt ending. Just stretches out as she stands from the chair and gathers her things, blabbing about getting dinner at the guild.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be so bad." Levy winks down at him as he glowers at the book. She's almost worried that he'll challenge the poor paperbound to a fight, he's that cross.

"That's it?"

She laughs at the question and places her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Yeah, they tend to do that to you." Levy makes to pull away, but he catches her wrist and his eyes pin on her, not transfixed on the black leather in his hands.

"Here." His other hand snakes to the pocket in his trousers and produce a pair of glasses. Obsidian steel with the same replicated feather on the eyepiece twinkles in the old chandeliers. "They're not enchanted like the other ones, but I figured it'd at least last ya until you can find a replacement pair."

Her smile is blinding and the frames are smooth against her palms.

* * *

#71; Gajeel accidentally breaks Levy's glasses and has to read to her until she gets a new pair.

originally posted: 8-20-13

**A/N:** I actually have a longer version of this gather dust in a folder, I may be convinced to post that one in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gajeel sits next to her on the couch, her lap is overflowing with wiggle worm arms and legs that don't quite have the hang of coordinated control.

He scoffs as she trails her thin finger down his son's pudgy nose and how the baby can't help but go cross-eyed as his eyes attempt to never look away from her. Levy's laugh is a set of bells that catches the infant's constantly shifting attention and she curls him forward to lay on her chest where he can latch his fist into the soft fabric on her shoulder.

The dragon slayer quirks the metal studs over his brow. "Not happy at all, are you?"

Her nose scrunches and she uses her free hand to snatch his. "Nope." The word is murmured over the tough skin of his knuckles as her eyes drift shut.

He allows her to pull his arm further to plant her mouth over the back of his palm. She raises her head and smiles at him.

"Absolutely miserable."

* * *

#44; _baisemain_, a kiss on the hand

originally posted: 9-18-13

**A/N:** I'm still on the fence about putting such a short drabble in one chapter. Oh well, _c'est la vie_.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"Keep still."

"_I_ _am_."

"Listen up, _teacher's pet_, it was your ridiculous '_By the Book_' brilliance that got us here in the first place. So just do as I say."

Gajeel regretted the words the second they left his mouth. He may have held their ticket to slicing the ropes holding their wrists together, but it was _her_ uncharacteristically manicured nails bound close to the pulse point in _his_ wrist.

Instead she slumped in the unforgiving chair their captors had had the decency to tie them up on, head falling and her heavy sigh echoing in their pitched prison.

"I know." Levy McGarden wasn't one to admit her faults easily, especially when it came to her job. Admit defeat or have regrets and you become a welcome mat.

It didn't matter in the end, her pride and polished record had meant nothing to the rogue, Gajeel Redfox. For once, she was glad he had been her partner on this assignment and not one of the company's regular bodies. They never would have let her lived it down.

Not that Gajeel would, but it was easier admitting it to someone who thought the rules were crap and never followed them to begin with.

"Don't turn into a sap on me now, we've still gotta get out of this place and I don't plan on hauling you around on my back. Just be glad you're not dead and that it's me yer stuck with and not someone like Salamander."

She scoffed, a melancholic and gruff sound that would be the closest he got to a laugh from her while they were three levels below the ground in an enemies' bunker and tied up back to back.

They lapsed into silence, Gajeel's occasional curses being the only thing to echo in the big room they were kept in. Levy gasped and cringed when his knife slipped over one of her knuckles. They were in deep and he'd hack off either her hand or one of his own before the enemies even had a chance to touch their precious prisoners.

"Damn." He did his best to angle the sharp object away from her and back toward his own hands, his fingers brushing over the small amount of blood that had started to seep through the cut and somehow managing to bend his hand to hold her wrist. He squeezed her much smaller hand in his. "Sorry."

Levy swallowed the stinging pain and relented, cautiously gripping his hand. "It's fine, 'm hangin' in there. Besides, I've had worse. Everyone's gotta survive a spar round with Natsu before they can get an assignment."

"Tough break." A smirk had replaced the grimace on his face at the idea. "So this is nothin'?"

"You have no idea."

Gajeel inhaled and released her wrist, her hand involuntarily flexing from the loss. "I almost had it, though."

Levy chuckled, a lighter sound from the previous one, "Don't let me stop you, Redfox. Haven't been able to before, so nothing should stop you now."

He rolled his eyes, but set the blade back to the place he had been calculatingly sawing at. "You make it sound like I go out of my way to spill yer blood. I'm feelin' a bit slighted you think so less of me, McGarden."

"Careful, blood loss and an extended vocabulary might get you more than just me having to be piggybacked out of here."

Gajeel made an unintelligible noise of triumph when he managed to cut through one rope, it only left three to go before they were that much closer to freedom.

"I highly doubt you'd be that easy to _sway_."

Levy tilted her chin up, the motion only visible in the farthest corner of his peripheral. "And what makes you think that?"

"Heard rumors."

"Really now. Wasn't aware Gray and Natsu had such limited conversation pieces in the mens' locker room. You talk about the next sale on high heels too?"

Another rope loosened around their chaffing wrists, Levy's retort ruined from the shiver of relief twitching her back and hands against his. Gajeel snorted and repositioned her hands away from the knife.

"Hell no." The third level of rope snapped in half, filtering an added sliver of satisfaction into his tone. "Cana's a regular canary when it comes to you. 'Specially when she thinks she sees _possibilities_."

It was Levy's turn to roll her eyes. "_Of course_."

"Don't be too mad, only reason why she said anything to me was to make sure I had a clear understanding of what would be waitin' for me if I even so much as put one toe out of line."

"How clear?"

Gajeel sliced the last part of rope and freed their hands, neither wasting any time to stand up and stretch their legs. She turned to him and nodded, there would be time to egg her about praising his work and giving going rogue a chance later. He ditched his blazer, rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt up and rubbing at his sore wrists.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and somehow, _somehow_, managed to get the unusually sharp canine to gleam right at her in the darkened hole.

"Crystal."

* * *

#35; _one character freeing another, or the other way around_

originally posted: 9-30-13

**A/N: **_Spies? Spies._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

When he and Pantherlily returned from their mission that night, he found her curled up in their bed with moonlight casting a light over her nest of every pillow and blanket they owned.

Gajeel snorted at her, it was the just the beginning of fall and she was treating it like frigid temperatures. Lily sat on his shoulder and helpfully tacked on that there's a lot less heat when he's not there.

The Exceed flitted off his partner's shoulder in search of a midnight snack. Knowing Levy, there was no doubt that his kiwi supply would be replenished for his return. Plus, whatever leftovers she wrapped for them and kept in the ice box.

Gajeel craned his neck to watch Lily putter around the kitchen, the Exceed could be perfectly silent when he wanted to be, but it never hurt to be sure. The duffle still clutched in his fist fell to the floor and his boots were quickly abandoned with the bag. He'd get an ear full about leaving it in the middle of the room later, but it wasn't a main concern right now.

Gajeel's focus was completely drawn on the tiny lump in his bed with an extreme case of bed head, if the angle he saw her from is any indication. A part of him wished that he had given in to her before he left and allowed her to come along.

Dragon slayers were unforgivably enormous worry warts, though.

So he had made her stay behind with the incentive that if she came along, then he couldn't very well bring her back a surprise. They both knew she never cared about gifts, but if he just so happened to be aware of a book or magical trinket she had learned about and had extra time on his hands, then so be it. She was going to hit the roof once she saw what he was able to come into possession of.

Gajeel was nothing short of pleased with himself, so the smirk that crawls over sharp canines is well earned in his book. Sidled up to the bed, he carefully ran his hand over her shoulder to wake her up.

"Levy, I'm home."

She stretched and mumbled incoherently at him, he guessed that whatever it had been was a good thing because there's a tired smile plastered from one ear to the other and she's clumsily trying to sit up on her knees to get closer to him.

Gajeel's laugh rumbled in the hands she pressed to his torso to steady herself. It woke her enough draw half-lidded eyes to his face and act on the short term loneliness of cold sheets. But she can't stand and sleep had started to pull her back in just as she's able to form a welcome.

"'m glad." Levy managed not to knock her noggin against his collar bone when she neared him, somewhere she's vaguely aware his hands have wrapped around her shoulders.

The last thing she remembered that night is worn leather and a stuttered heartbeat beneath her lips.

* * *

#67; _chest kiss_

originally posted: 8-30-13


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gajeel awkwardly handled the lopsided paper heart that had been thrust into his hands the second he walked into the guild. Before he could say anything to Asuka, let alone stand back up from where she'd tugged on his pant legs to have him kneel down to her level, she was already on the path for her next target.

The iron dragon slayer chuckled and rolled his eyes, finally taking in the guild. Banisters and tables and chairs and even the stairs were covered in red, white, and pink hearts.

There would be quite the mess to clean up later, but nobody had it in them to talk about undoing the Connell girl's hard work.

Wendy had taught her how to cut paper hearts earlier in the week and it had proved to be the grand undoing of Mirajane's work to make the place neat and tidy for the weekend.

He sidled up to his usual table, settling in beside Levy before opening his card. The woman hardly batted an eyelash at his arrival, not missing a beat as she continued to read the rather big tome set out in front of her.

Her glasses warped the glance she gave him from the corner of her eye as quietly turned a page. "About time you got here."

Gajeel scoffed and closed the book still in her hands. "Yeah, yeah._ I know_."

Levy rolled her eyes and then, cleared her throat. "So, what did you get?"

"What?"

She gestured toward the crudely cut paper still in his hand. "The card, Gajeel."

"Ah." He opened the card and held it up to her. "A staple."

Levy looked to him pleadingly. "Don't eat that, whatever you do, _please._"

"I'm not a child, but_ thanks, mom_." Gajeel picked at the tape, seemingly studied the tiny snack, just to ruffle his wife's nerves. "What'd you get?"

"Mine had a little story in it."

"Well, at least Bisca and Alzack can't say she's not observant."

A comfortable silence settled between them. Valentine's Day was tomorrow and it was their turn to babysit the little girl as her parent's went out to dinner for a few hours.

Gajeel cleared his throat and pinned a look on the woman beside him. "This where I ask if you care about any of it, watch you say no, and then, hand me my ass when I don't get you anything?"

She mocked her mate. "_Tch_, you act like this is the first Valentine's Day we've been through together."

"More like _survived_."

"Hey, _that_ year was not my idea and sue me for trying to-"

Gajeel gave her a sideways look and smirked. "I was kidding."

She puffed out her cheeks and swatted his elbow. "You're incorrigible."

"Yeah, and you willingly tied yourself to me for eternity."

"A decision I am _still_ unsure about."

"Like hell." Gajeel leaned closer to her, his smirk growing and glinting in the lights. "You couldn't live without me, shorty."

The script mage pressed her hands to the scruff on his face and pushed him away gently. "As if. I-" Her words abruptly dropped off as a shadow passed over her eyes, she shook her head to clear her mind and smiled up at him.

"Tired?"

She hummed, already beginning to gather up her things. "I had hoped I'd be able to stay a little longer and see Lucy."

"'s not like our house is in Hargeon, Lev."

"I know, but it's not like she's in any better condition." Levy stood from her seat and smoothed her dress down, her hand running over the small swell of her stomach. "So, halfway seemed fair."

"Yeah, but she ain't babysittin' a hurricane later." Gajeel stood and tangled his fingers in her hair. His hand slid from her hair a second later and subtly ghosted along her jaw before he turned for the guild doors.

"Gajeel."

"Hm?"

Levy fell into step beside him and linked their hands together. "You know with every fiber of your being I'm not adamant any particular way about Valentine's Day. _Although_, going a day without your _brat_ zapping all of my energy out of no where would be nice."

The dragon slayer snorted as he waved to Juvia on his way out. "Look at it this way, it just confirms the hag's theory about 'em having magic abilities and then, you can guilt 'em into passin' along yer script once they're here."

"And if they're a dragon slayer instead?"

As the guild doors shut behind them, he nudged his nose against her temple. "Either way yer gonna have 'em devouring books like no other."

The blue haired woman turned to him, lightly setting her mouth against his. "True."

* * *

#1; _Valentine's_

originally posted: 2-14-14

**A/N:** I'm not sure this really went where/how I wanted it. There's really no point to it, just marrieds with a baby on the way.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

They had to hand it to Cana, they really did.

The card mage took one look at them on that celebratory night and insisted they have at least one drink. She tilted her head in the low light, snickered at a joke she somehow heard from across the buzzing guild hall, and nodded her head once before listing off two drink orders to Mirajane that even the sensitive slayer and ultimate lightweight would be able to handle and enjoy.

Cana was at least thoughtful enough to deliver Levy's in a cup. At least that's what the script mage thought as she peered down at the liquid. Small amount, but she honestly had no clue what it would taste like or if it really wasn't all that strong.

She looked up at the hunched figure across from her, crinkling her nose as she watched Gajeel inspect his own mug. "Well, what do you think?"

"Too soon to tell."

"Sh-should we go through with it? I mean, if after one sip we know we've been had, we can just ditch it for something safer."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes into the burgundy colored liquid, even his senses couldn't pick up on anything specific. Other than it had been mixed with several different flavors. "If mine turns out to be something strong enough to even bring Alberona down, hunt down Lil' as fast as you can."

"Deal. I'd say something similar, but I only think Luce or anyone else would just laugh it off."

Gajeel snorted, "I don't think it'd take a lot to lug you outta here and back to Fairy Hills."

Her cheeks warmed and she hadn't even taken one lick of alcohol, it was…nice to know he had her back- even if it meant she'd be drunk at the time. Levy nodded her head and looped her fingers around the smooth handle, tentatively cradling the bottom side with her other hand. "O-On three?"

Gajeel nodded and sloppily clunked his mug against the side of her cup, smirking devilishly. "3."

* * *

#30; _drinking, alone or with each other_

originally posted: 10-13-13

**A/N: **It's canonically shown that Gajeel drinks (with screws in the glass, whatta dork), but I don't think he drinks _too_ often. And especially not anything Cana gives him because that is asking for trouble. Alcohol and dragon senses wouldn't mix all too well if the person wasn't careful, as well.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

He stopped in the alley, shoulders hunching forward and his sigh weighing deep alongside the hands in his pockets. "One of these days, you're going to get caught."

She slunk from the shadows, the heels of her shoes not making the slightest sound against the uneven pavement. "Maybe, but then, that's where the fun is, isn't it?"

Gajeel glowered down at her from the corner of his eye, pulling a derisive snort from her dainty nose.

"Don't give me that look, I'm not a child."

"You're toeing dangerous ground, Levy…"

She circled him, the vulture that had yet to strike its prey. "And you're not, Redfox? Things are different these days, if you're not on the up of trouble-." A slender hand raised to cross over her delicate throat, "You're on the steep downside just waiting for someone to push you into the fall."

Levy stepped closer to him and this time he heard the definite click of her boots' heel, a recognition of her trust in him if anything. "Things are different."

The smoldering city and faraway sirens echoing in the distance were a dead giveaway, he didn't need her reminder.

Or excuses.

Gajeel twisted his mouth thoughtfully, "They could be another kind of different."

The smaller woman rolled her eyes and slid her hands to the fabric at his sides, comfortably settling them between his arms. "This where I'm supposed to bite my lip with guilt and the tempting promise of redemption? You'll use those broad shoulders of yours to sweep me right off and out of the boots that have trekked through seas of blood. I'll clasp my thin, little arms around your neck, only to let you sear my skin with the blinding taste of hope. You'll kiss the poor, broken thing senseless until she's precisely what you want her to be."

He growled at her, leaning down to snarl in her ear. "You know as well as anyone that that's not my intention. People are starting to wonder, the beloved _Ms. McGarden_'s been missing too long for a simple bout with a cold."

Levy clicked her tongue, moving her face toward his and suspending her lips a hair's breadth over his. "And what of _Mrs. Redfox_?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously before he slammed his mouth over hers, their canines clanking together and catching on each other's lips. His next words were scraped against her mouth.

"Drop _this_ and you just might find out one day, Lev."

* * *

#17; _an au where the characters are enemies_

originally posted: 10-28-13

**A/N:** So instead of taking the obvious approach since Levy and Gajeel have been enemies before, I went for a Catwoman and Batman-like setup. They are not actually those characters in this universe, just that same dynamic.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gajeel mindfully pulled Levy over his torso, contentedly settling her where he could see her and not have to move from his comfortable spot. Levy snorted and poked her finger into his side, getting an indignant grunt and squirm from the dragon slayer.

"You're so lazy."

"_Tsk_, I don't hear you sayin' anything about it being uncomfortable."

She purposely exhaled deep, pressing the soft skin of her belly into the rigid lines of his middle. "Give it a minute."

He spluttered and growled, poking her slim side with a harsh jab of his own. "Yer ribcage ain't all that unforgiving either, Levy."

The script mage rolled her eyes and shifted again, moving where she could rest her head over his heartbeat. "Better?"

His calloused fingertips gently scratched at her side he had previously given rough treatment to. "Yeah."

"So picky." Levy laughed and lifted her head, pecking her lips over his jaw and ignoring his narrowed eyes at her halfhearted insult. "You need to shave too."

Gajeel sat up, catching her before she could roll away, and rubbed his prickly chin over the smooth skin of her face. "So demanding. Can't please you for anything."

"G-Gajeel, stop!" Her breathless laughs only succeeded in making her fight to get out of his hold weak. "You're going to make my skin all splotchy!"

He tugged her closer and ran his mouth over her own jawline. "Too bad, shorty. You asked for it."

* * *

#16; _jawline kiss_

originally posted: 10-29-13

**A/N:** One of my personal favorites.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The words slithered from her pen as an ethereal serpent, the symbols were aged and in the shade of a sickly lime that transfixed her victim. A black hood eclipsed her face from view; she wouldn't be granting the sight of her soft eyes and bright hair tonight.

The words coiled tightly around the torso of the sniveling page. His weak spirit would relent her plans to the first that would listen.

Her teeth shined viciously in the dim light, there was little chance the fool wouldn't be taken for anything but a fowl jester. Not a soul would believe him.

"I didn't tell."

The _venom_ symbol split, the halves reached and curved to place their jagged edges over the juncture of his shoulder. It was her turn to hiss as the words punctured and twisted and seeped into the unmarred surface at her command, draining his warm complexion and life.

Her cold laugh swept into the howling breeze and rattled the barren branches of the trees. "I know."

* * *

#28; _an au where the characters are evil_

originally posted: 10-19-13

** A/N:** Levy McGarden leaves no loose ends.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do now own Fairy Tail.

* * *

There is nothing short of unnatural in the way he ruffles her hair today.

It's light and lingers just an inhale longer than usual and Levy swears his fingers thread more than tousle. The action is _genuine _and there is no way he's not trying to butter her up for something.

Most likely iron.

Either way, she absolutely does not lean into the softhearted gesture and her heart is _not_ breaking through her ribcage. She's going to get to the bottom of this and find out what he's vying for.

Gajeel quietly sits next to her, the cries of steel twisting in his hands are purposely muffled, as she reads. He's never been shy about the prowess it takes to bend the alloy _before_, so the iron dragon slayer is surely up to something today. Levy decides to not act on the obvious courtesy, her book is more important and she'll just tally up the kindnesses until it's time to pounce.

Covertly glancing at Lily in two minute intervals gets her nowhere, he's nonplussed by the whole situation and is wholeheartedly sold to the focus of sipping kiwi juice and alternately polishing his Musica Sword. Usually her first clue to suspicious behavior are the exceed's sniggers and smirks at his partner's expense.

No help there.

Despite her uneasiness, she gets lost to the pages. She's forgone tomes about languages and script for the day to dive headlong into an adventure novel Lucy had recommended to her. Levy's unsure of how long gone she is in sword fights and character development before the nudge at her wrist is startling her from the trance.

"Calm down, Levy." Gajeel's eyeing her like she's gone crazy and is two heartbeats away from chucking the book at him.

_As if she'd risk damaging a perfectly good hardback against his metal skull._

He has his fingers lightly pressed to her wrist, a last ditch effort after she didn't even flinch to the string of nicknames he'd used to get her attention.

She vaguely recalls Lucy saying something about Natsu being a personified furnace and deduces that it might just be a dragon slayer thing because there's no way his rough fingerprints and callouses are not branded into the smooth skin of her wrist.

The touch is featherlight, but it's seeped into her bones and is still imprinted days after.

"Just wonderin' if you wanted somethin' to drink." Those damnable piercings are rising to his infuriating zigzag hairline like she's gone off her rocker completely.

"Oh…Riiiight. Sure." Gajeel stands from his seat and offers to get Lily more kiwi juice as well. She strikes the second she figures Gajeel isn't paying attention to them and is focused on a back-and-forth with Cana. "All right, spill. What does he want?"

The exceed quirks his little head up to her and flexes a tiny ear. "I'm not quite sure I know what you mean, Levy."

"Not buying, Lily. He's up to something and I want to know what." She narrows her eyes and leans to toward Pantherlily as if they're suddenly co-conspirators for a dangerous mission.

"What's given you the impression he's in want of something?"

"He's being _nice_."

Cat-ate-the-canary has nothing on the devilish smile winding over the feline's face and she has the sinking feeling she's about to be made a fool. "I believe humans show such physical and verbal gestures as a way to display their affections."

"I'm not foll-," but just like that it's all too clear to her and she's about to swallow her own tongue. Levy sucks in a shaky breath and succumbs to the heat spreading along her cheeks, her heart is a hummingbird wingbeat in her eardrums.

All too soon, Gajeel's returning with three mugs and she's still trying to recover her tongue and a normal breathing pattern. There is no way Gajeel was _flirting_ with her. Just like there was no way _she_ could be so oblivious. At least he has the decency not to say anything about her behavior.

Until her squeak of thanks has him glowering at Lily.

"What'd you say to her?" Those cutthroat eyes slide to the exceed sitting innocently on the table at his elbow.

Pantherlily sips at his new glass of juice before opening his mouth. "I-"

"Uhm, he didn't say anything, Gajeel. I-I'm just embarrassed, I wanted to apologize for acting so weird. I get pretty invested in reading, y'know?" Levy attempts her most award-winning smile and sheepishly scratches at the back of her head. It wasn't the entire truth, but he didn't have to know that.

"Yeah, I know, bookworm." His voice is an affectionate drawl and there's pink crossing his own cheeks as his hand snakes its way back into the crown of wild hair.

She always was a terrible liar.

* * *

#70; _Gajeel failing at flirting with Levy and her not getting it and thinking he's unusually nice and weird today_

originally posted: 8-21-13

**A/N:** Banter is actually their mutually agreed upon language of love.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

She wishes the great big earth, warm and sturdy with summer, would have mercy on her jinxed soul and swallow her up.

"Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. So at least you don't have to worry about that." She takes it back, she wants the earth to swallow his smarmy ass up instead.

"I doubt you're making her feel better, Gajeel." Pantherlily flies at his partner's shoulder as they crest back over the hill toward the slayer and Exceed's house.

"I could probably walk on my own, y'know."

"Yeah, _probably_. Or you could, _probably_, manage to snap your ankle this time." His rogue attitude and comments didn't waver with her injury, even though the second she collided with ground it had twisted his face in horror and worry.

There's a sharp pain pulsing from her ankle clean up to her pride. If there has never been a time she truly felt like a rag doll before, she does now. Gajeel cradles her to his chest and she's dimly mortified past the pain that her shirt's twisted around her torso and her shorts have risen high enough on her thighs to make her feel indecent.

Insult to injury, as always.

Thankfully, Gajeel's wise to her steadily souring mood and stays quiet. He's hyperaware not to jostle her or smack her feet against the door facing as he enters his house.

She refuses to think about the fact that she still hasn't untangled her arms from around his neck. It had been an honest initial reaction when she had been cautiously lifted from the ground and into his arms before she could blink.

He leaves her sitting on the bathroom counter to help Lily search out their first aid kit. "We didn't get rid of it, did we?"

"Of course not, just because you're too dense to think you'd need it, doesn't mean I'm foolish enough to be that naive."

"I'm not naive."

"Fine, _vainglory_."

"Just find the stupid box, Lil'."

Their back-and-forth would be funny if she wasn't awkwardly sprawled along the cold countertop, a hairsbreadth away from actually sitting in the sink, and her leg wasn't throbbing with the receding adrenaline rush.

There is some mercy out there after all because Lily finds it first, in the hallway closet.

The dragon slayer pops the top open and diligently sets out all of the correct supplies, not even bothering to look up when he spoke to Lily. "Could you get me some ice?"

"Sure. Levy, would you like something to drink?"

"Oh, no thanks." She's too busy watching Gajeel hover over her ankle and fearing his unrestrained strength will come back any second to be concerned about her parched mouth.

"I'm gonna have to take yer shoe off." It was nice having a left ankle while it lasted, they'd had a good run.

"I'll be careful." He meets her eyes then, for the first time since she fell in the back field, and she feels stupid for ever thinking him incapable. Especially when his eyes are holding _whatever it is she cannot name_.

Levy watches his throat bob with the tell of nerves as he sets his hand to unlacing her shoes. His moves are deft and equally slow, testing the waters of her pain threshold.

Which they both know isn't anything special.

Gajeel lifts her foot and her rush of breath echoes harshly against the tiled room. The shoe is off and her tiny foot is left unguarded in his broad palms.

"That hurt?"

"No."

"Well, this next part probably will. Sorry." The look he pins on her slides like ice to pool in her stomach because, for all the world, he looks like he's the one with a broken ankle (_probably_).

If she catches onto the gentle pressure he kneads into the ball of her foot, she doesn't say anything. He arches her foot and slowly rotates her ankle back and forth. They both let out sighs of relief as he places her leg back on the counter and

Lily returns with the ice (and a small glass of kiwi juice for being such a good patient anyways).

Gajeel wraps her ankle as she sips at the kiwi juice with Pantherlily perched in her lap. He finishes with a smirk aimed down at her and ruffling her hair.

"I knew it wasn't broken. You're tough."

* * *

#68; G_ajeel taking care of Levy_

originally posted: 8-22-13


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Neither of them were particularly dependent on each other or worried when a few missions had them going in opposite directions. And this time was no different.

There was no impending dark forces that hinted to war.

No missing limbs, not even so much as a paper cut from the mission flyer.

But when she got back from her mission and he had yet to return from his, it found her waiting in his apartment until the late hours….just like Natsu.

Lucy hadn't let her go without practically shouting the embarrassing comparison from the rooftops.

Her humiliation was alleviated somewhat when Gajeel stumbled back into his house in the predawn and only just managed to rasp out her name before she was trapped in his arms and tangled in the blankets tucked into the couch to keep her warm.

In her mind's eye, they were bruises blooming as he found her hairline, her temple, her cheekbones and jaw and mouth and the side of her neck down to her shoulder and on to her collarbone, but in reality, the touches held the force of a butterfly's wingbeat.

Her own reciprocation jolted his hollow insides with electric shocks that left a buzz in the deepest parts of his ribcage and eardrums.

They would have been laughed right out of the guild and off the face of the planet for their sheer drive that tasted too much of a weird and new kind of desperation, but they couldn't find it in themselves to particularly care.

They willed the ghost emotion into ash, to be carried out on the next spring breeze.

* * *

#21; _all over kiss_

originally posted: 10-27-13

**A/N: **Sometimes they need to be grounded and make sure the other is really there.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

They were both into action movies, she was more into the Sci-Fi, murder mystery, fantasy, best-selling-book-series-made-into-movies kind and he was gun slinging, fast getaways, detailed punches, and thrillers.

Despite their parallel tastes, there was still one weekend set aside a month for them to deviate and take turns choosing a film that fell under 'guilty pleasure'.

Her turn was up, a gut wrenching war movie that had a small romantic subplot played over the screen. But there were explosions and underdogs winning, so he couldn't say it was all that bad.

The few lines of epilogue materialized on the screen, but whatever peace and satisfaction that lead to this moment was shattered in white font materializing over the girl's picture, she'd been the unlikely romantic subplot.

"Wait, that's it?"

Levy furrowed her brow and twisted in her spot nestled beside Gajeel to stare at him. "What do you mean 'that's it'?"

"That's how they wrap it up? Just like that?"

"Well, you see they won-"

"No, not that. The-." He stopped, realizing he was about to make a complete fool of himself and the girl beside him was absolutely not above hanging it over his head.

Despite his lack of explanation, she seemed to catch on anyways. Levy glanced to the screen, then back at him, a cheshire-like grin unfurling on her face. He huffed and abruptly stood from the couch, leaving her to fall down into the cushions.

She began to laugh as he took their empty glasses and popcorn bowl to the kitchen. He had hoped to escape her and then deny the entire thing happened when they got ready for bed. She followed him anyways.

He rinsed the glasses in the sink as she wrapped her arms around his middle and dug her chin into his back. "Are you upset that he didn't find her? Did you want true love to win out against the odds in a glorious reunion against a bright and golden sunset?"

"_Tch, no_. Just thought the pacing didn't fit."

Levy bowed her head, placing her forehead over his spine. "It's okay if you did, you know."

Gajeel scoffed and turned in her arms, ruffling his hands through her hair once he was settled with his back to the sink. "It wouldn't have been realistic."

Levy cocked her head and blinked up at him. "Sometimes unrealistic is good, right?"

Damn it all if her owlish eyes and innocent inquiry didn't make him agree. He ducked down and sealed his mouth over hers, angling her chin after a moment. "Yeah, sometimes."

* * *

#51;_ watching a sappy movie, one of them has a surprising reaction to the film_

originally posted: 10-16-13

**A/N:** This one's actually pseudo-autobiographical and actually a real film that I saw eight years ago. I was sort of rooting for the happy ending to the romantic subplot and when I lamented this to a friend, they mentioned that they liked how it ended because it gave the subplot a more realistic feel. Obviously, the last part during their conversation isn't autobiographical and just Gajeel and Levy hidden meaning fluff.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The mission had been originally meant for Team Natsu (and apparently Flare?). She was still confused about the details, but understandable debriefing or not, she was being sent out to assist the giants in Sun village. Gajeel and Pantherlily were dispatched as her muscle, a fact that had her rolling her eyes and him boasting that infuriating smirk the entire way there.

They weren't supposed to be there and, as always, things went wrong. Trouble found them and now Gajeel wasn't _Gajeel_ anymore.

The top of his head reached the top of her ribcage and the metal wristbands clattered to the hard ground with the icy reveal that he had no idea who the girl with wild blue hair calling out his name was.

No recollection of whom the black cat with wings and nasty scars was either.

But his attitude was as visceral as ever and he wasn't her muscle anymore, she was his.

Levy helplessly locked eyes with Pantherlily, he was equally at a loss, and simply fell to her knees. She bravely made a grab for Gajeel's hands, her mind stalling with the ease it took to stop him from wriggling from her hold. Her breath shuddered and the little boy went completely still.

"Gajeel, d-do you know where you are?" She nearly laughed at the scowl he pinned down at her, but cleared her throat of the sensation, waiting for his response.

"What's it to you, lady?"

"I-I'm trying to help you. I know this is going to be hard, but I need you to listen. We're in a place called Sun Village. We're helping our friends- we're all members of a guild for mages. We're members of Fairy Tail."

He wrenched his tiny little hands from hers and crossed them stiffly over his chest, squaring his shoulders and planting his weight firmly to the ground. The familiarity of the movement made her head reel, but she turned her back to him all the same. Levy's hands shook as she willed them to wrangle in her disheveled locks and hold them to the side.

"See, this is my guild mark. Pantherlily has a white one on his back."

The tiny dragon slayer didn't spare the gaping cat a second glance, completely mesmerized by the white and orange mark on the older girl's small shoulder.

Her breath hitched in her throat when his hand, small and un-calloused, traced the lines of the odd fairy with its tail. "Y-You have a black one like it on your left shoulder."

He didn't answer, only kept his fingers pressed to the orange lining of her mark. Something tickled in his mind and pressed uncomfortably in his stomach at the sight of the weird picture on her skin.

"No, I don't belong to a guild. That sort of thing's stupid anyways. Besides, I don't have time for that. I'm lookin' for someone."

Levy clamped her mouth shut against the keening cry that bubbled up her throat and Pantherlily slowly drifted to the ground with the simultaneous realization.

_He was looking for Metalicana._

The script mage let go of her hair and stood up, facing the child once more. "I-I know this is going to be hard to hear, but Metalicana is gone, Gajeel. He's been missing for several years. Along with Natsu's dragon, Igneel, and Wendy's, Grandine. We're here to help Natsu and Wendy, actually. The rest of their team too, Lucy and Gray and Erza."

He stepped closer to her and stuck his chin high in the air. "You're wrong. Metalicana's not gone. It's just a test and you're in my way. I have to become an iron dragon slayer and no one's gonna stop me." Gajeel side stepped her and began to stalk forward.

…Except she caught his small wrist all too easily and yanked him back, the strange girl kneeled before him again. "No, you have to stay with us, it's dangerous. Plus, we have to get you back to normal."

"No way, you're crazy! No way in hell am I stayin' around you insane lot. Let me go, or I'll fight you."

Her grip tightened and her eyes, too big and too expressive for him to stomach, bore into his. He had never had anyone look straight at him before, except Metalicana. Most people were afraid of his eyes. She opened her mouth once more and the force of everything coming back to him knocked him flat on his butt.

"No, you won't, Gajeel."

His breaths came is short gasps and suddenly that weird cat had his dark, furry paw on Gajeel's shoulder to calm him down.

"Shrimp."

Levy sighed and rolled her eyes, of all the names he remembers, it _had_ to be that one. "Yes."

_"Levy?"_

She tilted her head and held both of his hands in hers, subconsciously rolling her thumbs over the trim bone at his wrist. "What is it?"

"W-What the hell happened?"

* * *

34; _one character trying to get another to remember them_

originally posted: 10-1-13

**A/N: **So, this was a 'what if' scenario during the arc where Gray, Lucy, Erza, and Natsu were turned into kids. For whatever reason, when Gajeel is turned back into a child, his immediate focus and memories are on Metalicana. I've got a pseudo follow up to this story where someone requested that Levy is dying and Gajeel can't doing anything to stop it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

He still isn't the best with comfort…or words with positive connotations in general. His one moment of exceptional glory being the time she broke Freed's runes and he had managed to voice his opinion of her.

It stops his heart all together when she stares wide eyed over the charred remains of their campfire to meet his eye, Gajeel's gut twists with the thought that maybe she's having nightmares about crucifixions.

But whatever guilt he can muster up disperses as she scrambles from her sleeping bag and trips right into his lap.

The dragon slayer's left speechless as she fists her hands into his shirt and _convulses_ with desperation. Lily clambers over Gajeel's leg and sets his paw on her side.

"A bad dream, Levy?"

Her tiny arms constrict around him and it jolts him into movement, he wraps one arm around her shoulders and tucks the other behind her knees to bring her closer. He still can't say anything and is immensely glad for the Exceed.

Lily hops onto his partner's shoulder and buries his nose into her hair. "We're here."

A rumble raises deep from Gajeel's torso and warms the clammy skin of her neck where he rests his nose. Her breathing shudders, but begins to calm. Levy raises her hand from his side to curl around his neck, stretching enough to scratch Lily's back in thanks.

"In my dream, you weren't."

Slowly, he moves his head to rest against her temple and whispers the only thing he can say with confidence. "Good to be wrong, huh, shorty?"

"Yes." Her laugh is breathy and a little broken, but he'll take anything as a victory against the petrified silence.

* * *

#10;_ levy waking up from a nightmare and gajeel comforting her afterwards_

originally posted: 11-17-13


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Levy carefully edged the freshest batch of gingerbread men onto the wax paper to cool and breathed a sigh of relief. "At least those didn't curl up or get stuck on the pan this time."

Lily hummed his agreement and passed her the can of nonstick cooking spray they had found two cookie batches ago. "Though, the others were no less palatable, Levy."

To punctuate his point, the Exceed snapped a disfigured cookie in half and handed her a piece as he happily popped the other into his mouth.

"Thanks Lily, but I have a feeling Mirajane wouldn't have been very impressed." The solid script mage laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

Levy had gladly accepted the challenge of baking Christmas cookies for the guild's party, but was absolutely determined to make them nothing short of impressive.

Made from scratch, individual in their icing clothes and faces, and proportionately shaped if she had anything to say about it.

Lily scoffed and rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "Gajeel's attempt at Mirajane's request for a new star for the tree wasn't very impressive-"

_"Oi!"_

"-these are great, Levy."

The girl giggled at his comment, the Exceed hadn't been lying when Mirajane saw Gajeel's finished project, but her bell laughter cut off into choked surprise as the aforementioned entered the kitchen.

The dragon slayer narrowed his eyes on the pair and lazily snatched a perfectly sculpted gingerbread man, eating it whole.

"Gajeel, those are still-!" Levy cringed as he crunched through the hot cookie batter without batting an eyelash. "-hot."

Gajeel shrugged and leaned against the counter as Levy went back to mixing the next bowl of batter. He snorted at her small shudder of disbelief, chuckling under his breath.

She rolled her eyes and arched a brow as she looked back at him. "Oh, please. Am I supposed to be impressed by that?" He smirked at her, opening is mouth to answer when she quickly cut him off. "Because I'm not. Also, if you know what's good for you, you'll stick to the scrap batch and stay out of Mirajane's. Those are for the party."

"_Tch_, thought I was havin' a better influence on you and not followin' all the rules, shorty."

It was her turn to snort as she gave Lily the gingerbread man cookie cutter and stepped up to him. "_Right_. With your outstanding charisma and convincing vocabulary skills."

The dragon slayer growled, glowering at her with all the distain he could muster at someone wearing an apron that fell well past her knees and face smudged with cookie batter.

Levy chuckled and scrunched her nose. "Do you want to help us bake the rest of the cookies, Gajeel?"

His sudden look of satisfaction flashed warning signals through her head as he smirked. "Nah."

He reached forward, snatching her chin in his fingers and bringing her face close. Gajeel quickly leaned forward and enjoyed the breath that so obviously caught in her throat. He brushed his hand roughly over her cheek where a particularly large spot of batter had been left and pulled back, walking back out of the kitchen and leaving Levy successfully glued to her spot.

_"If you were waitin' for the right time to be impressed, now would be it, Levy."_

* * *

#4;_ making Christmas cookies_

originally posted: 12-17-13

**A/N: **When it involves getting one up over Levy, Gajeel is a master. However, Levy always gets the best retribution.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The siren of the land strung up their nightmares like Christmas lights, but the images and sounds burst like fireworks in their field of vision. Dragon bones with familiar names, towers crumbling to the earth, golden hair flicking out behind a lithe figure turned away from a mirror image child, the seven lost years turning into 70, they were all horrible and chipped at her soul as the venomous beauty cackled at their crestfallen hearts.

She had all but stopped breathing when the laugh reverberated around the site they fought at, a blackened symbol dripping and sliding down scarred flesh, and a tree rising in the distance.

The images faded and passed and burst to the next nightmare, but she had all but stopped breathing to care. She met Gajeel's eye and, what she had thought at the time was voiceless, shrieked around her sob. His red eyes were too wide and too bright and too boring on her. His chest heaved and hers caved, he's shaking his head and she can't find her words.

It was clear as day that he thought she stilled feared and lived with the haunting truth of their past.

It wasn't true. This woman was lying. It had been her most vivid nightmare, but not one she had had in years. Her last nightmare was a fever dream during a cold about being chased by a domino effect of falling books, not phantoms or bone crushing metal.

She could smell the iron and her blood, she almost emptied her stomach at the sight of Gajeel's ghostly appearance. There was no doubt in her mind that he was being tortured with the sensations just as she was. Levy cried out and wrapped her arms around herself as her knees buckled.

"NO!"

Her eyes shot open, gauze lining her field of vision. Her breaths ached and keened towards the infirmary ceiling. Levy struggled to sit up, stopped by several hands. A face appeared beyond the blurry curtain of the tears, but the electric worry and fear in his red eyes charred her heart.

It would be a long time before the team sent on the mission recovered.

* * *

#38; _dystopia, an imaginary place of total misery; a metaphor for hell_

originally posted: 9-22-13

**A/N: **Meh, but I still like the idea of a villain using Gajeel's past against him to get the upper hand. It intrigues me.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

She was still short as hell, but, instead of being able to balance on his knuckles, Levy stood just under his chin.

Her wingspan spread the length of his arms and were nearly double the length, he could see the swirling patterns of language sewn into the webbing and glowing with her palpable happiness.

"_You_-"

"Sorry! I didn't mean- well, I kind of did, but I didn't think-! Please don't be angry!" Gajeel swore that her tipped ears drooped into the full waves of hair with the emotion.

He reached for her, relishing in the fact that she didn't shy or slip or duck or hold his hand away. His gaze stayed on her hands and he stepped forward, stopping when his own hand came into view.

Clawed, jagged, and riddled with unyielding metal.

"I just wished and I guess I finally wished big enough." Levy stumbled forward, embarrassingly knocking her knees into his shins in her haste to grasp the hand he had started to pull away. "Don't. You won't hurt me." Gently, slowly as if she feared of scaring _him_ away, she set his hand in the bend that met her neck to her shoulder. "I'm strong now."

"Yer big."

The fairy laughed, her wings twitching with the force of it. "Yeah."

His calloused fingertips tangled in her hair and trailed over the pointed tips of her ear, pulling a hum from her. She tilted her head as if to give him more access, encouragement. "Why?"

Her eyes fluttered back open in confusion and she peered at him. Her cheeks pinked and suddenly she was eye to eye with him in a thousand mockingbird wingbeats. "You said you'd make me big."

Gajeel laughed, nervous and unsure. "Not exactly what I meant by that, fairy."

One of her hands fell to the iron scales along his cheek bone as the other teasingly fluttered over his jaw.

"I know, but you put ideas in my head."

* * *

#11; _fairy!levy x dragon!gajeel_

originally posted: 11-16-13

**A/N: **Hook was one of my favorite movies growing up.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Levy was unapologetically entranced with snowfall.

She could sit for hours in the bay windows of Fairy Hills wrapped in a quilt and armed with a mug of hot chocolate watching everything within eyesight get blanketed. She wouldn't deny it, she'd read too many novels and seen to many movies _not_ to romanticize it.

The way the sky never went completely black and snowflakes with stark shapes landed on her window and faded into racing water drops.

Where Lucy loved Summer, Erza liked Fall, and Juvia thrived in Spring, Levy huddled close to her favorite meals and stories and memories enclosed in flurries and red ribbons.

Levy had grown up with Natsu, Elfman, Mirajane, Cana, and Gray, she was accustomed to the hills staying smooth and soft only so for long. They were snowplows in coats once the Master gave them permission to go out and play. As they had all grown older, she was given more and more opportunities to see the snow go untouched for longer periods of time.

The snowflakes caught in her bangs sticking out from the brim of her hat and in her eyelashes. Levy took a deep breath and enjoyed the peace, standing on the hills outside of the guild hall. A party was in full swing inside and she doubted anyone would miss her for a few minutes.

…..Until ice and blades of dead grass crashed into the back of head and tiny slips of snow dropped beyond the collar of her coat. She shrieked with the unwelcome sensation and whirled around in her spot to see Gajeel leaned up against the doorway of the guild and so, so smug for getting the jump on her.

"Thought you could sneak away so easily, huh? Gotta admit, I figured you were a bit more…ingenuitive than that, bookworm."

"Keeping an awful close eye on me now, aren't you?" She arched her eyebrow in challenge, he couldn't back down no matter whom it came from.

"Wishful thinking there, shrimp?"

"_Tch_, as if….Just wanted a breather is all."

He nodded his head in understanding before he pushed himself from the doorway to stand next to her. "'S that mean you wanna go?"

Levy tilted her head up at him, he wasn't looking at her but at a spot in the distance. He seemed to be lost in thought as she watched the snowflakes melt on the headband she'd fashioned for him. "No, just wanted to enjoy the view before Natsu and Gray got ahold of it."

Gajeel moved his attention back to her and smirked, leaning closer to her face, "Me or the snow?"

Levy spluttered, he had won that one in a fair shot, but that didn't mean she had to like his cheek.

She cocked her hip and opened her mouth to retort when a foot hooked behind her knee and jerked. It sent her right into the snow.

That tell-tale laugh that she wanted to ring from his being 90% of the time echoed around her. "Ga-Gajeel!"

She swiped at the snow on her chin and pouted from her spot on the ground. The iron dragon slayer was too preoccupied with his own amusement to see her displeasure and her impending revenge.

The compact ball rocketed into his cheek and he froze at the bells tinkling high over the commotion in the building behind him. Tears fell from her eyes as she clutched her middle, gasping for air as she relayed to him that _'Your f-fa-face was priceless'_.

"Now, you're in for it, Levy."

Gajeel snarled and grabbed her ankle, she hiccuped and fought in vain to scramble away from his iron hold.

She could have gotten away, but a snow soaked sock and terrible cold were the only things waiting on the other side of freedom.

"No, seriously- Gajeel, let- Gajeel, let me go!"

"Not a chance." He pulled her up and had her dangling upside down, trapped in a hand stand and wide open for impending attacks. The snow started to seep through her thick mittens and sent shivers up to her elbows.

Her face turned red with the rush of blood and her laughter turned shrill. "C-come on, I- I ca-can't breathe!"

Gajeel righted her and yanked her up once she relented with the right amount of pleas and compliments. He tilted his head forward to brush his warmer nose against her cold one. "Yer sure you wanna stay?"

"Y-yeah, I do." Thousands of books and movies flashed in her mind, dorky cliches about romantic scenes in the snow and-

"Hey Gajeel!" A snowball struck his head and the snow splattered across her nose as they fell from the force of the throw. "Don't you know if you're gonna have a snowball fight you gotta tell everyone else too?!"

The man beside her growled and sat up, ready to bury Natsu in an avalanche and his various curses. Levy could only sit in the snow and laugh as Lucy, Wendy, and Erza dove for Natsu and held him down for retribution. Juvia and Gray froze the ground together, sending Gajeel into a snow drift. And with that turmoil fully broke loose.

Well, it wasn't like the books or movies, but spending time with Gajeel and seeing her guild playing in the snow was more than enough for her.

* * *

#60; _playing in the snow_

originally posted: 9-3-13


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gajeel Redfox did not strike her as someone that would be the kind to find an interest in history, _especially_ anyone that would willingly choose to become the department head's assistant.

She always pictured the more gentlemanly type, clean cut and no piercings and a practical haircut.

Levy did give him one thing, though- no one dared label him a teacher's pet.

It was just her luck that she would be sick the day of a test and the professor would be sick the day of the makeup test.

Which left her in the history building that seemed more like a ghost town with only Gajeel Redfox as her proctor.

To her _immense_ surprise, Levy had wandered into the classroom to see him flipping through their history texts and placing various colored sticky notes at different parts and a blank test waiting for her at her usual seat.

"Prof says you got the allotted class time to take the test," the senior sat back in his chair and set his eyes on her, "but I doubt you'll need an hour and a half to fill out the test. Yer one of the smart ones."

"Uh, thanks?" Levy shifted under the weight of her backpack and quirked her brow nervously. "I'll try not to hold you up for too long."

"Don't worry about it, I'm stuck here planning an entire week's worth of extra credit projects anyways."

"I didn't think aids did that sort of thing."

"They don't, I lost a bet."

"Ah." She settled into her seat and scanned over the first question, glancing up to see Gajeel back at his work.

Well, at least he wasn't like the English professor's overly pretentious assistant.

* * *

#27; _an au where the characters are in a teacher/student relationship_

originally posted: 10-19-13

**A/N: **I feel like if this had been further expanded on, Gajeel and Levy wouldn't start hanging out until after she was out of the class because mixing with the T.A. can seem pretty fishy and also, it would give him a reason to talk to her- he doesn't see her twice a week anymore, so when he runs into her on campus he takes every opportunity to check in on her and waits for the appropriate time before asking her to dinner.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"He's not going to gum you to death, Gajeel."

The iron dragon slayer levels a glare at his wife as she curls up in the hospital sheets, enjoying the view of him shifting awkwardly beside the cradle.

"You'll have to hold him sooner or later."

"Maybe not, some dragons eat their young." He shrugs and rolls his head to face her, some of his usual cheek returning.

"Gajeel! That's not funny."

He mumbles petulantly, "I bet Salamander'd laugh."

"That's not helping your case."

Gajeel heaves a great breath and finally worms his hands around the tiny warm body. There's a heat trapped in the fleece blankets that is beyond the human threshold and killer pride surges past his nerves with the revelation.

He has no idea what he's going to do with the brat and Levy's going to be of _no help_ because she's already lost another battle for staying awake longer than 30 minutes. There's a peace that settles in the room with her even breaths and he wonders if she's aware that it's symbolic for his kind.

It takes a great deal of trust for dragons to comfortably avert their eyes when someone is handling their young.

She probably does, it's in her nature to study and learn and understand _everything_. The situation eases his nerves a little, if his mate has this much faith in him, then he's not going to make her regret it. That's for damn sure.

Settling into the rocker by the window is an awkward dance and cursed prayers for the baby not to alarm everyone on the floor with his deafening shrieks. It's not like everyone wasn't already aware of his painful lack of experience in child care.

Although, the second nature of flexing his ankles to move the chair at just the right angle and speed is a point for him.

"Never thought I'd willingly hold a brat, let alone have one of my own." There's a scary amount of Levy already prevalent in the way the infant pops open one of his eyes. It shocks him how aware his son is already, especially to his presence. There is a daring in the eyes that narrow up at him.

"Ah, looks like yer not too sure about me yerself, half pint." Gajeel's more than amused by the scrunched nose and furrowed brows aimed up at him.

Rogue wriggles a hand free from the blanket and haphazardly smacks it into his unruly black hair.

"Oi, yer gonna pull it and I can tell ya now, it ain't pleasant." He untangles the baby's long fingers from the tuft of hair and allows them to curl around his thumb instead. "You've gotta good grip on ya, but it could use some work, brat."

Gajeel rocks farther back, unintentionally throwing a beam of light squeezing through the shades over Rogue's face. The little guy squirms against the treatment as his father's throaty laugh fills the room.

Tiny black pupils, slitted and stark with strength, contract to show familiar glowing red irises.

* * *

#69; _Gajeel and baby trying to figure each other out_

originally posted: 8-21-13

**A/N: **That very first line is a reference to the Disney films Dinosaur, I find it fairly amusing despite not watching the movie in the last decade or so. This is one of my all-time favorite prompts I've written, I'm satisfied with the way it turned out and first time parent!Gajeel is so endearing.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

She was ready to sock the troublemaker three rows back and one seat over right in the face. In front of the teacher and everything, she didn't care if she got in trouble!

Okay, so _maybe_ a small part of her crumbled at the mere mention of detention and her name in the same sentence..but still! That brat kept shooting spit balls into her hair and everyone was laughing.

Except Lucy and the new kid that had _earrings_.

Levy chewed her lower lip nervously as the teacher continued to face the board and yammer on about division. She begged and pleaded in her mind for the balding man to turn around and catch the punk in the act so she wouldn't have to risk her own neck.

Another wad of paper smacked into the back of her head, catching and falling into the thick waves that fell to her shoulders. She wouldn't be able to pick or shake them out until recess.

Which wasn't for another 30 minutes!

"You two had better knock it off before I get Erza to crack your skulls together!" Lucy leaned in her seat, seething at Natsu and Gray as they practically rolled out of their desks with laughter.

She cursed her willpower as her lower lip trembled and she heard the bully joke with his best friend and give him a high five.

_"Watch this."_

Her little hands gripped the edge of her desk with all the strength she had, bracing for the worst and getting ready to bring down what little wrath Levy McGarden was capable of.

An intake of breath and then, a choked one to follow, she whipped around.

Just in time, Levy caught the new kid, Gajeel, snatching the straw from her torturer and smacking the bully's chin enough to startle him. Her eyes went wide as she realized the choking had been the result of the kid _swallowing his ammo_.

Her eyes flicked to the rough looking boy and held her breath as she heard him speak for the first time.

"Leave her alone, _or else_."

Levy made a note to hunt him down at recess to thank him. That is, once she got all of the waterlogged paper out of her hair.

* * *

#9; _p__apier mâché: (French) chewed paper._

originally posted: 12-6-13

**A/N: **Another one of my personal favorites. Elementary AUs can be even better than high school ones.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Levy readjusted Rogue in her arms as Juvia settled on the couch beside her, a bright smile on the water mage's face.

"He is beautiful."

Levy's eyes crinkled down at the baby in her arms. "He looks just like Gajeel."

The water mage hummed and chuckled, "Juvia thinks so too."

"Would you like to hold him?"

Her eyes widened in excitement and her delicate hand fluttered to her mouth. "Oh, Juvia would love to."

After a bit of finagling and tangled arms, Juvia coddled the bundle close to her. "Juvia thinks he is a very calm and content baby."

"You're right. He's not too fussy, but I can tell he's going to be a handful once he gets older. Especially with Gajeel as a dad."

Said man rounded the hallway and into the living room, "I heard that."

Levy rolled her eyes. "You _hear_ everything."

"I'm going down to the guild. You comin', Lil'?" The Exceed nodded and hopped off the couch, following his partner to the front door. Gajeel reached for the knob, then turned back, pointing at Juvia. "Oi, don't drop that."

Levy scoffed at his use of words and gaped at him. Juvia only bowed her head.

"Juvia promises she will be careful, Gajeel_-kun_."

Satisfied, the dragon slayer nodded and left.

Levy watched the door for several beats before turning back to the woman completely enraptured with the newborn. "Juvia, how did you and Gajeel become friends?"

Juvia knowingly smiled at the script mage. "Levy is curious as to why Juvia uses _-kun_, correct?" She nodded and Juvia continued.

"Gajeel came to Phantom Lord after Juvia, she had been in the shadows since she was young. Not many wanted the Rain Woman around, but Jose seemed to love the idea of Juvia and her powers. When Gajeel joined, he was very angry and vindictive. No one cared, he was strong and won battles in Phantom Lord's name."

Juvia's sentence faded into the quiet, taking the pause to coo at Rogue and offer her hand for him to hang on to. "Rogue has a very strong grip, like Gajeel…Gajeel walked into a bad mission one night. He ignored Juvia, but he didn't curse or threaten her if she didn't leave. Gajeel did not complain about Juvia's 'gloom'. A-at least not seriously.

"Juvia had secretly followed him and found him in rough shape. Juvia helped to patch him up. He was very quiet, except for cursing when Juvia sewed his stitches. When Juvia started to leave, he thanked her and that's where Juvia supposed it started.

"We have looked out for each other for a very long time."

Levy smiled tenderly and gently plucked the fussing Rogue from Juvia's unsure hold. "I'm glad he had you around, Juvia."

The water mage's eyes never deviated from the round face and tiny red eyes, his mother's hand smoothing his hair to calm him. "Juvia is glad he has you, Levy."

* * *

#50; _Juvia is talking with Levy about how and why Juvia has started to call him Gajeel-kun_

originally posted: 10-16-13

**A/N: **I really like the headcanon that Gajeel and Juvia would be close- it's not something obvious, it's subtle. That's their style. They spent years in PL and Gajeel was one of the few to respect her first (even if she did have to kick his ass at first). They're like siblings- they can't spend too much time with each other (or they'll drive the other crazy) and they look out for each other from a distance.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

"You're sure you can't get out of it?"

Gajeel tied up his pack and sighed, shoulders slumping forward for the 5th time they would be having this conversation. "Yeah."

"A-And I can't go?"

Gajeel turned to Levy, solemnly perched on the edge of his bed with Pantherlily in her lap. She looked tired and defeated, he mentally blanched as the term 'rejected' radiated from her being. It was the farthest thing from the truth.

"No, you have to stay here and make sure Salamander doesn't toast the Christmas tree or any of the gifts back at the guild." He shouldered his pack and tossed Pantherlily his much smaller one.

The Exceed glanced between the two mages and politely bowed out of the room to make sure everything was locked down properly before they left.

Levy's head hung forward, trying to blink back the ridiculous waterworks that were threatening her vision.

"I would stay if I could…I would say 'yes', if I could. It wasn't ever about bein' a 'no', Levy."

The script mage sucked in her breath and steeled her resolve, meeting his eyes and refusing to cry like a child. "I know, but…It's just that it's Christmas. Why would he send anyone away-"

"I volunteered."

"You- what?"

"Everyone else needed to be here and I didn't mind going. Makarov was goin' to wait until after, but it's somethin' that's better dealt with sooner rather'n later."

She sighed and stood up, walking with him to his door. "That's not very fair."

"Tch, life often ain't, shorty." Gajeel huffed and looked at the sky, glancing helplessly to Pantherlily before he looked back to Levy. "Look, if I can make it back early enough, I'll come get you."

Levy offered him a watery smile in return. She stepped up to rub Lily's ear and gave the Exceed a hug before she moved on to Gajeel. "I don't care what time it is, I want to spend Christmas with you."

She looped her arms around his middle and murmured into his shirt, "Merry Christmas, Gajeel."

The iron dragon slayer took a deep breath and threaded his fingers through her hair, ducking down a little towards her head. "Alright, now get outta the cold and try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"_Tch_, I'll make no such promise."

* * *

The guild's Christmas party had been as wild as every year previous and completely drained her by the time she made it back to Gajeel's apartment. She couldn't wait to tell the dragon slayer that Natsu had only set a few tables aflame and that, with the help of Freed, she kept the tree and everyone's gifts safe from scorch marks.

And that he was missed.

And how Makarov had seemed somber the entire time.

It was almost midnight and he still hadn't returned and part of her wanted to be childishly angry at him.

For being such a different person from whom he had been.

For being considerate and caring beyond what was required.

For accepting her invitation to spend Christmas together, but having to decline because of those changes.

She even wanted to angry at him when he opened the apartment door, at a quarter to midnight, and had the gall to growl at her.

"I thought I'd told you I'd come get you."

Levy huffed and stood to snatch his bag from him. "You did, but I wanted to make sure I'd be here. You would've left me at the dorms to sleep."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes and scoffed, snatching the bag back and stalking down the hallway to toss it in his bedroom. "Most people would see that as bein' considerate. And I had no idea where'd you'd be at or even if I would make it back."

Pantherlily flew up and landed on Levy's shoulder, softly setting his paw on her cheek. "Don't let him fool you, he was in a hurry the second we boarded the train."

"Oi, nobody asked you."

Levy cocked her head inquisitively. "You were?"

The dragon slayer flushed and stuttered, successfully caught in his partner's betrayal. He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck and looked anywhere but at her. "Well- There's not much open anyway and everything closed early, so I didn't want to be stuck out on the streets if I didn't get done in time."

The Exceed rolled his eyes and winked at Levy before flying back to the kitchen to find something to eat.

It was Christmas and she was bone tired and he had made it and she didn't care anymore, she was just happy. She bolted forward and caught him around his neck, his arms easily wrapping around her waist.

Levy shook her head at him and beamed. "You made it."

She didn't need the mistletoe Mirajane had mischievously pressed into her palm earlier. Just him.

Gajeel sealed his mouth over hers and chuckled. A tired 'Merry Christmas' pressed to her mouth.

* * *

_#5;_ levy invites gajeel to spend christmas with her, but he has a mission already scheduled by master that he cannot refuse.

originally posted: 12-14-13

**A/N:** He makes up for it next year.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

She and the other female mages had just gotten done with their recent spread for Sorcerer Weekly, a spread done for a fundraising kickoff Magnolia was hosting in two weeks.

Thus, they came back to the guild in their costumes, a parade of different group themes. She had been paired with Laki and Lucy for an interview and photo op for encouraging literacy and higher education. Needless to say, her Gale Force glasses got a different kind of work out today.

Luckily, the spread was relatively tamed, she was handed a 'take on school uniforms in the highest fashion sense'. At least, that was what she had been told. The outfit was pretty cute, but she definitely wouldn't want to be a student or a teacher stuck in the skirt and crinoline for 6 hours a day.

She distractedly pulled at the elastic snuggly wrapped around her biceps, wriggling anytime the puffed sleeves and high collar tickled her skin when she moved. Levy slumped tiredly into a booth, yanking on the ribbon tied around the collar at her neck. At least the corset design was more for looks rather than the actual thing, she could huff and sigh and grumble into the cool table top all she wanted this way.

"Tough day at school?"

Levy lifted her eyes to Gajeel's looming figure, the burning smirk and gleaming canine and hands nestled smugly in his pants pockets more than she wanted to deal with right now.

"You could say that. 'Least there's no homework."

The dragon slayer slipped into the booth across from her and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Surprised yer not at the library working on your studies like a good student."

Levy raised up and quirked an eyebrow at him. Scoffing, she turned up her nose. "I'm no teacher's pet."

"Oh, I doubt that."

"Jealous and tired of the back row view, Gajeel?"

It was his turn to scoff. Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Hardly. I'd much rather stay in that back row and use my time wisely than apple polishin'."

The script mage popped her chin into her hand. "And just what constitutes as spending your time 'wisely'? Building up an ammo of spitballs? Carving insults into the desk?"

"Sit in the back once, and you just might find out."

* * *

_#39;_ sphallolalia - flirtatious talk that leads no where

originally posted: 9-21-13

**A/N:** Levy's outfit was based off one rboz created in a sketch dump.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Levy's hands ached and spasmed with the effort to keep calm and steady, dropping her guard and breathing deep for the first time since she was left in the hallowed bones of the abandoned building would only seal her further misfortune.

The grimy walls and floor and ransacked filing cabinets on the fifth level darkened with the setting sun and inched closer and closer to her lithe frame. Her thin breathing crashed in her eardrums like waves.

Levy had forgotten what her footsteps sounded like long ago.

It was too dangerous to have footsteps or clicks or clunks.

The world was a different place now.

Her breaths stopped, her eyes dilated, and the nasty floor gnashed her teeth together harshly as the wall to her right caved in and the rubble coated her back.

The same words he always spoke echoed in the silence that followed, their hateful dialogue branded into her bones after all this time, it was always the same.

"Found you."

The rubble tore into the scarred flesh on her knees, the pants that were new once were just a few stitches from being rags now. She ducked and rolled and bounded, her muscles screaming and screeching to her in protest. Levy had no idea how long she had managed to hold on, but it was now more that obvious that she was running out of life.

And the keeper of her timer was currently less than 2 yards away and at full strength.

His laugh crashed instead of the waves.

Another wall fell, a desk was blown past her in a call that came too close and faltered her quick steps.

Her exhausted body rolled with the a blast she had never seen or felt before, the momentum had her flying over the edge of a crater in the floor. The edges on the field of her vision went black and his laugh sang her death march.

Her vision flashed once, then twice, before bottoming out.

Crimson embossed letters flashed GAME OVER across the screen.

The controller fell from her limp and clammy hands, jaw agape as she slowly turned toward the person sitting next to her. Levy blinked in succession and shrieked, "YOU CHEATED."

Gajeel snorted and flicked her forehead. "Not my fault you research everything BUT tricks you can unlock in video games."

* * *

_#31;_ one character killing another

originally posted: 10-13-13

**A/N:** I had so many people worried with this one, it was great. I felt infinitely clever.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Levy poked her head into the nursery, Natsu had let her in on his way out to the guild with Gajeel. "Lucky you, we didn't even get a say in our nursery."

Lucy's head popped up from the instruction manual she was skimming to smile at her friend. "Don't be too jealous, Mirajane sent me a catalogue with the items she had ordered so we could be expecting them."

The take over mage hadn't wasted a minute with planning for either of them. With Lucy at 3 months and Levy at 5 and a half, they were both equipped with freshly painted, decorated, and furnished nurseries stocked and ready to be used.

"What's the manual for?" Levy set her bag in the rocker and sidled up to her friend to get a glimpse of the small print.

"Putting the mobile on the crib." She nodded her head to the heap of string and wood sprawled out on a changing table.

Levy walked over to the toy and picked it up, her smile splitting her face. "They didn't."

Lucy nodded her head and watched the contraption bob in a circle, "They did and I cried. I'm not sure you was more shaken up by my waterworks, Natsu or Aries."

Levy snorted and scrunched her nose as the small plush toys of each zodiac passed in front of her face. They hung from strings, with two on each one. Taurus and Sagittarius, Scorpio and Aquarius, Cancer and Virgo, Leo and Aires, Pisces and Libra, Gemini and Capricorn. A tiny Plue had even been added to the string with Gemini.

"Did they all come to give it to you?"

Lucy laid the manual to the side and approached Levy, tenderly watching the mobile slowly circle in the air. "No, just Aquarius and Aries. They even wrapped it."

"Well, no wonder you cried." Levy set the toy down and nudged her friend in the arm with her elbow.

"Hey, I don't want to hear it from you. From what I heard, you were near inconsolable when Jet and Droy showed up with the box set of picture books and the first baby blanket."

Levy crossed her arms over her chest, "I was not 'near inconsolable' and you would have cried too."

Lucy beamed at the shorter girl and nudged her back, "You're right."

"So, do you want a boy or a girl?"

The celestial mage raised her head proudly and looked away, "I want a healthy baby."

"Oh, don't give me that line. You know if one of us has a girl and the other a boy, we'll never have a moment's piece from Natsu and Gajeel."

"True." Lucy rolled her head and shrugged, "A little girl would be nice, but so would a boy. With my luck, I'll have a boy that's Natsu made over."

Levy laughed, "I think we'd both be doomed in that sense." Levy placed the mobile down and ran a hand over her distended belly. "I can't see this one being a girl. Something tells me it'll be a boy."

Lucy flung her arm around Lucy's shoulders as they left the nursery for the kitchen. "Then I'll just have to have a boy too and they'll be stuck being best friends whether they like it or not."

Levy laughed, "In that case, I hope with every fiber of my being they're like us and not their fathers."

* * *

_#47;_ Lucy and Levy being pregnant besties.

originally posted: 10-17-13


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gajeel's eyes narrowed on the suspicious smirks slapped across Lucy and the Salamander's cat's faces as the older girl handed a little red box to Asuka.

He glowered confusedly as the tiny cowgirl drew one of the candy sticks from the box, letting it hang from her mouth as she tottered back over to her parents. After nearly dropping the thing when she couldn't stop giggling. Gajeel swung his head to Pantherlily and shook his head. shrugging his shoulders.

"What's the box about?"

Pantherlily released the straw from his mouth and quietly swallowed his particularly big gulp of kiwi juice. "It's Pocky, a kind of candy."

"Well I got that, I could smell the sugar from here. What's it for?"

The cat's scar stretched up his face as his brow drew up his forehead, "You're serious?"

"It's for Pocky Day, which is the eleventh day of the eleventh month. It's a game sweethearts use to get a kiss from the person they like, each eating from one side to meet in the middle. It's very popular among younger children and some young adults." Levy didn't look up from her book as she explained the concept to Gajeel, merely flipping to the next page as she read on.

"That sounds ridiculous."

Levy huffed amusedly, rolling her eyes and finally setting her book down. She propped her chin in her hands and turned to smile at the dragon slayer. "It's not mandatory."

"I know that. I'm just sayin' it seems kind of…dumb and weird. Why would you want to mix food in with something like that?"

The script mage cocked her head and scrunched her eyebrows up. "Is this a dragon slayer thing? Like the issue Natsu has with the bathrooms being in the same building as the kitchens and dining tables?"

Gajeel spluttered and shot his Exceed partner a glare when Pantherlily laughed raucously. "What-? No! Salamander's just weird. Think about it, would you want to try to not choke or drool while slamming your mouth up against someone else's?"

Levy shuddered and stuck out her tongue, "Gross. Why must you be so crass? C'mon Gajeel, it's not something you have to take so seriously. It's just a kid's game. Besides, most of them just eat the candy rather than using it for its purpose."

"Right. So, this mean you never played this game as a kid?"

Her cheeks pinked at that. "Uhh…In my defense, it was a dare and the consequences of chickening out were handed down by Mirajane."

Gajeel's voice was a rumble just over her shoulder as he hunched down to speak for only her to hear. "That so?"

She watched him from the corner of her eye and smirked. "Jealous, Redfox?"

"Depends, the guy still around?"

Levy snorted and swayed to nudge his shoulder with hers, "Relax, gecko. I chickened out in the end."

His laugh was full and loud in her ears, "I gotta know, what was the punishment?"

"To this day I'm sworn to secrecy." She winked coquettishly at him and smoothly pulled her own box of pocky from the bag at her side. The slim piece of candy hung from her smirk in a way that served to be distracting. "Besides, I never needed pocky for that."

* * *

#15; _pocky day_

originally posted: 11-12-13

**A/N: **McGarden's got game.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gajeel stood behind her, calculating her weight distribution and toeing his foot against the heel of her shoe. "Shoulder length apart, or yer gonna get knocked on yer ass again."

Levy huffed but did as he said. "Like this?"

"Better." Gajeel finished his slow circle around her small frame, only stopping for a moment to raise and bend her right elbow more. "Now, we're going to start off easy. One-two-duck. Got it?"

"Doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose if either of us knows what the other's next move is going to be?" She started to drop her arms, but one sharp look from her partner stopped her cold.

"Would you rather me let you go in blind and knock yer lights out first thing?" Gajeel stepped forward and double checked the wraps around her tiny hands, flat out ignoring the rise and fall of her bare stomach in his peripheral. It occurred to him that suggesting they do this to the T was probably a bad idea.

If only for his health.

"I suppose not. So, who goes first?"

"I will, so you can see what I'm doin' and how to set up a rhythm to make it unpredictable on down the road. Theatrics and cheap tricks are what get's ya knocked on yer ass too. Keep it simple and stay quick on yer feet."

She bobbed her head in a short nod, all business and a strong jaw that never looked more like glass as he took the familiar stance.

"Ready? Go." Gajeel slid toward her and rolled his shoulders, eyeing her and watching the nimble work of her feet.

"One." She blocked his right fist deftly.

"Two." His left fist caught the ends of her hair as she shifted away and popped up behind him.

The moment he turned and he saw the fox-like grin curled up one corner of her mouth, her eyes cut with nothing short of mischief, he knew he had been had.

It was her that broke the odd silence and slow motion his mind reeled in.

"Duck!" Levy's arm shout out fast and true, catching the edge of his jaw and causing him to stumble back in surprise.

The look on her face had been priceless as he rubbed at the raw spot, it'd surely bruise in the coming hour. Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' and the rolling gasp heaved her bare torso up with the motion.

"Tch, holdin' out on me, ankle biter?"

"I didn't meant to actually hit you!" Her bandaged hands flew up to her mouth and in the time it took him to blink, she had closed the distance between them and held his jaw between the soft pads of her fingers.

Her brows drew together as her lower lip caught between her teeth in worry, her dreadful expression had him chuckling. His hands didn't remove hers from his chin, but one settled on his hip as the other made it's way through her messy hair, pushing the headband far back on her head.

"Takes a bit more than that to knock me down."

"Good." She bobbed her head delightedly and smiled up at him.

What happened next had his mouth hung open in shock for the next week. One second, he's up on his feet and reassuring one startled bookworm and the next, her foot is curled around his calf and he's fallen flat on his ass.

Gajeel Redfox made it a point after that to ask beforehand what Mirajane Strauss had already taught the smaller girl.

And her comebacks after were undoubtedly straight out of Alberona's book.

* * *

_;36: _one character fighting with/or against another

originally posted: 9-30-13


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

She had made him swear on that acoustic guitar he so treasured that he wouldn't sing. Not that he necessarily had a bad voice, but her partner-in-crime liked provoking her and shaking her focus any chance he got.

How Levy McGarden and Gajeel Redfox wound up on this project together was a tangled web of more questions than answers that neither of them had. At face value, he had the guitar and she had the soft Indie vocals Lucy needed.

The lyricist was her best friend, an aspiring writer getting extra money by writing songs for movies or local artists. She hoped to make this particular song big, but had to have a demo of the instrumental track and one with vocals for it to even be looked at seriously.

So, that's where Levy sat.

Perched on a bar stool in the university's modest recording studio with Gajeel sitting opposite of her, tuning his old guitar. Her head swayed from the giant earphones, her friend unmoved by the weight like she was. The weight made worse with the nerves making a wave pool of her insides.

"Ready, guys?"

Her head popped up to see Gajeel nod to the tech and Lucy, who sat behind the giant window in front of them.

She was definitely not ready.

In fact, she was adamantly sure she wasn't even the right person for this. She was an English and History major, a minor in Linguistics, and the music course had only been an elective.

But then, Gajeel's guitar was playing out the song and she had opened her mouth without a conscious thought of the motion, the lovestruck words rolling off her tongue with ease.

She kept her eyes downcast, staring at her feet as the chords played out and picked up. Levy's gaze was pulled to Gajeel's hands, completely transfixed at the shifting movements of muscle in his hands. Somehow, the rough looking guitar player caught her attention and got her to look at him, quietly mouthing his teases.

Her laugh bubbled and tugged on the lyrics, her voice warm and hitched from trying not to fall for the bait. If they messed up, they'd be forced to redo it until Gajeel got his act together- which wouldn't be anytime soon.

He seemed to understand her pointed look, having been on the receiving end of it enough times to know what it meant by now, finishing the song with the proud wink and smirk.

The last words trapped in her laugh once more as the guitar chords faded away. She failed to realize the still glowing RECORDING sign, shucking her earphones off and releasing her full laugh without a second thought.

"I can't believe you, stop making faces and be serious for once!"

"Yeah, right." Gajeel reached forward, punctuating the remark with a familiar sentiment.

"No, stop. You're going to mess up my hair!" The words only half formed through her breathy giggles, desperately fighting the hand winding its way through her curls.

The sign's glow faded and Lucy's voice chirped over the mic, "Thanks guys, I think," she brightly looked to the tech at her side and smiled. "We got exactly what we needed."

* * *

She received a tape of her friend's song two weeks later. The official recording was sealed in big time recording studio stationary and with a professional letter of thanks.

Imagine her surprise when the sounds of her laughter and an old, familiar guitar filled her apartment, the last echoes of their teasing ending the track.

Gajeel poked his head out the kitchen doorway and warily eyed her, his brow shooting up close to his hair line. "Let me guess."

Levy couldn't fight her smile as she looked back to Gajeel. "Oh, I'm so going to kill her."

* * *

_;26:_ an au where the characters are in a band together

originally posted: 10-21-13

**A/N: **Wholly inspired by Ho Hey from The Lumineers.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

Gajeel clamped his eyes shut against the onslaught of a shrill _'What have you done?!' _echoing down the hall and right off the tiled floor of the bathroom.

Lily paused in his search of the drawer he'd been assigned, the Exceed flinched as Levy burst through the bathroom door, catching Gajeel off guard and serving to make him jerk the arm he had buried into another drawer.

Sending the thing clattering to the floor, with various headbands and bottles skittering across the floor.

"Gajeel!"

The iron dragon slayer cursed and kneeled to pick up the mess. "Yeah, I know."

"What happened?"

"Left him and Salamander's brat alone in the yard for five minutes."

"How does _that_ happen in five minutes?"

Gajeel snorted and stood back up, righting the drawer and raising a brow down at his mate. "Seems to take after you, trouble sticks to him like a second skin."

"Oh, _please_." Levy stepped past him and to the spot Lily was perched, excusing herself past him and starting her own, more fruitful, search. She continued to murmur irritatedly to herself as she lined various bottles along the counter. "This is what I get for marrying the man who would challenge a _ball of lint_ if it looked at him wrong and having _his_ child."

Pantherlily guffawed, quickly ducking under Gajeel's swat toward him and scurrying back out to the living room to wait with Rogue.

Levy stood up and smacked a wide toothed comb against his chest, her cheeks puffed out in frustration. "If I wind up having to cut his hair, you're getting one next."

Gajeel only just managed to narrow his eyes and open his mouth for the comeback of all comebacks, that would no doubt get him a swing upside the head, when she zipped right back out of the bathroom.

A headache rose to the forefront of his mind as he realized she'd managed to find what he'd been looking for, for over 30 minutes, in a blink of an eye.

It would be a long time before he heard the end of this one.

* * *

_;8:_ _hairbrush_

originally posted: 12-6-13

**A/N: **Oh, wheeeere is my hairbrush.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

The cold is one she has never felt before, she hatez the way she can see the infant's lips shift from one shade of blue to another, darker one. Levy's nearly given all of her memories to get them this far and the lights she sees in the distance seem as out of reach as ever.

Just as he's beginning to fidget in her arms, she places her hand over his tiny heart and slips exhaustion into his little body.

"We'll have to give you a name, little one." She ducks her nose into the downy tufts of black hair and swaddles him as close as she can get him. There has to be a place for them. Even if the lights aren't real-

No, they were and she would reach them.

The helicopters stopped searching for them days ago, allowing her the freedom to continue their trek under the minimal heat of the sun. As she crests the last hill where the lights should lay only hundreds of feet away, dark shadows appear on the horizon. They are intimidating giants guarding their territory in the tundra she is trapped in.

For a second, she fears she has traveled in a giant circle and brought them to a worse fate.

Levy stumbles closer, her breath shallow and the infant's nearly too quiet, when she realizes they are not giants, but people. More importantly, no one familiar.

She wishes her mentor could be here, to see her find what was missing in their old world and save the child she names Rogue. The strangers rush for her, and before her vision banks, she is swaddled in layers of blankets and hushed voices.

She dreams of red eyes.

* * *

_22; an au of the character in a dystopic future_

originally posted: 10-20-13

**A/N: **I'm not entirely sure what gave me the idea I could successfully AU Lois Lowry's The Giver.


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail or The Giver.

* * *

After she had been brought within the walls of the new society, affectionately referred to as Fairy Tail by its members, weeks went by before she was allowed to leave their infirmary and the stony gaze of the apothecary.

Now, she had been given chores and lessons in their laws.

More importantly, there was a place to call her own as she cared for the infant she saved.

"Sameness does not exist here, Levy. You can live without fear." The blonde girl named Lucy emptied a fresh pitcher of warm water into the basin Levy bathed Rogue in. "Our existence is to be what they are not. Everyone here has memories, and thoughts, and no job is frowned upon so long as you are happy."

The Receiver hummed in response, excitement coursed through her veins for the chance to learn new memories. Rogue playfully splashed in the tub, slapping waves of water and slinging soap onto his caretaker's cheek.

"He's beautiful, Levy. Is-Is he yours?"

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment at Lucy's question and the remnants of the teachings of her old home about the women that bore children. "N-no, I saved him. He was to be killed and I saved him. It's why we had to run….

"I think he is yours just the same." Lucy tilted her head and smiled brightly to the the newcomer, it instilled a warmth in Levy's bones that outshines all of her memories of the sun and heat.

She returned a smile of her own, lifting the baby from the water and wrapping him in a fluffy towel before resting her forehead against his. "I guess you're right."

Rogue giggled happily and placed his damp palms against the soft skin of her cheeks, as if letting her know she is just as equally his.

"You two must be strong. No one's made it across the barren lands since Gajeel came here. He was only eight or nine then."

Levy cradled the baby boy and gently rubbed the towel under his chin, pretending to be preoccupied didn't hide her genuine curiosity from Lucy. "Who's he?"

Lucy chuckled, nudging her elbow into her new friend's side and winking at Rogue. "Remember those red eyes you dreamed of?"

"Yes, why?"

A delicate finger fell to the side of the blonde's nose. "That would be him. Remarkably coincidental, a Receiver as well."

* * *

_prompt; an au where the characters are in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, lucy x levy friendship_

originally posted: 10-20-13

**A/N: **The Giver is really hard to explain in just a few sentences, but here's some background: dystopic society (obviously) that's very strict, everyone has specific jobs, Receiver's can see color and have memories of days before passed to them, it is very taboo and looked down upon for one's job to be childbearing, and they kill anything that doesn't fit their model idea of Sameness. This is a really rough explanation, but hopefully it clears come things up.


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail or The Giver.

* * *

Lucy told her that Gajeel had been trained by Giver Metalicana, as well.

Levy had asked if she might be able to talk to him about their old teacher, but the blonde somberly shook her head.

"Aside from the responsibilities he carries that keep him busy, he does not speak of his past in your settlement."

"Ah, I suppose I could understand that…But I still want to thank him."

Levy quirked an eyebrow at Lucy's unladylike snort. "Don't get your hopes up too high, he's cantankerous on better days. You'll have to tread lightly around that one."

"You make him sound hopeless." The Receiver shook her head amusedly.

"There is no _'making'_, Gajeel Redfox is the walking definition of the word."

* * *

Imagine the newcomer's great surprise when the man himself knocked on _her_ door two evenings later, a towering shadow that shifted awkwardly under her voiced surprise.

"If it's a bad time-"

"No, it's not! I just wasn't expecting- well…" Her gaze fell to his shoes, looking shyly back up at him through her lashes.

"Talked to Heartfilia, have ya?" His eyes didn't meet hers, instead they fell on a spot just over her shoulder.

Levy refused to acknowledge or show the disappointment that settled behind her ribs, she was being naive to suddenly think the man with a reputation of keeping to himself would open up to her because of a few misfortunate similarities between them.

"I-I might have. Come in. And, just so you know, she only mentioned your tendency to stay relatively low and how busy you are."

"Ah. Plannin' on runnin' down my door, were you?"

Her cheeks pinked at that and her fingers fidgeted, tangling together with her nerves. "Not necessarily, but I wanted to thank you is all."

"Fer what?"

"The night we arrived, I know you were the one to give me the blankets and carry me back."

He shook his head, distractedly scratching the nape of his neck. "Don't worry about it."

Levy opened her mouth to continue, anything to dispel the tension between her and her company, when Rogue cried out from his nursery. She excused herself in a mumble and darted back down her hallway. The infant was a wiggling mess in his crib, giggling shrilly and smiling as she appeared in his line of vision.

She smiled warmly at her unlikely charge and scooped him up.

"Hey there, little guy. I bet you're hungry." The babe's only response was to wrap a hand in a loose curl that had fallen over her shoulder, Levy chuckled as he carefully tugged on her hair.

As she reappeared, Gajeel still stood uncomfortably in her main room, his eyes snapping to the bundle in her arms. "He doin' all right?"

She winced past a particularly hard tug on her hair, but smiled all the same. "He has, he's happier than ever as well." Levy shyly moved her gaze to Rogue, thoughtfully unwinding his hand form her hair and trapping it within her bigger palm. Silence fell between them for only a few moments before she spoke back up again. "W-would you mind helping me for a second?"

He quietly agreed and followed her to the kitchen. He allowed an easy going smirk to make itself known to the world for the first time years. "Need help reaching the top shelf?"

The girl spun back on her heel, eyes narrowing on the cocky essence that seeped into her apartment.

"_No_. I was actually wondering if you would hold Rogue? I-I just need to prepare a bottle." The unyielding set to his shoulders returned with the request, but Levy was quick to appease the situation. "Ah, I can hold him and talk you through how to make it instead!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes and carefully stepped up to the smaller girl. "It's fine. I can hold 'im."

"A-are you sure? You don't have to if you don't want-"

He met her eyes then, a stark look that ended her flustering. It occurred to her that Gajeel Redfox was not one to do anything he truly didn't want to do. It was a trait she understood with every fiber of her bones.

"Right. J-just, mind his head, okay?"

It was an awkward shuffle that broke any personal space issues either of them might have had, but soon enough Rogue was comfortably tucked into the crook of the larger man's arms.

"There." Levy stepped back, tilting her head thoughtfully as Gajeel carefully watched the little one grasp fistfuls of his shirt. "I think he likes you."

The older Receiver snorted, "What makes you say that?"

"He cried when Natsu tried to hold him."

"I don't blame the brat, I would've pitched a fit too."

Levy turned to begin the process of fixing the infant's meal before the novelty of meeting someone new wore off and he remembered that he was hungry. "That's terrible. And don't call him a brat, he has a name!"

"Maybe, but can't deny suddenly being thrust into the arms of that loudmouth with that head of awful hair wouldn't startle you at least a little. And I know he's got a name."

She rolled her eyes at him, chuckling to herself. "Does he know it's pink?"

"Not a clue. It's an unspoken agreement that any of us who can see color not say anything to 'im. Gives us a chance for a good laugh."

"Wouldn't it grow old?"

"You'd think, but it hasn't yet." Gajeel cautiously readjusted the baby in his arms, noting the way the infant's eyes flicked this way and that to study him. The serious scrutinization from someone so young made him feel odd and he got the sneaking suspicion that Rogue could see what he and Levy could. Before the thought could, another had slipped unbidden from his mouth. "Is he yours?"

Levy whipped her head back to Gajeel, her head swimming from the force of the movement. The man himself had paled and looked as if he was two seconds away from being devoured by the foulest of beasts, despite their painful differences in size. A pin's drop could have been heard in the half second neither of them breathed. It wasn't the first time she had been asked, but every time it came as a shock. It was going to be a slow process getting used to their ways, many that lived here had children or were expecting. It wasn't a taboo, the real taboo was what she had left behind.

She recovered first, her eyes falling to the boy comfortably nestled in a scarred arm, and she smiled warmly. "It was sort of a mutual decision, really."

He nodded and moved to adjust the baby again, subconsciously offering Rogue his much larger hand to grasp and play with. "That why you ran?"

She busied herself with the bottle, clearing her throat in hopes the action would serve the same purpose to the dark memories that flooded her vision. "Yeah, we were both more than an acceptable disappointment, you see."

His answer came in the form of a grunt, but rang in her mind clear as a bell. "Good."

Levy hummed quietly, but she couldn't hide the genuine smile that wormed its way from one ear to another. Gajeel struck her as the kind of person to know exactly what the _best_ kind of disappointments were, knowing her and the infant fell into that category warmed her bones in a way she hadn't felt since her lessons with Metalicana.

* * *

_prompt; Giver end_

**A/N: **Only Receivers/Givers can see color.


End file.
